The present invention relates to a food processor having a coupling point disposed on its housing. It further relates to a system comprising a food processor and at least a first and a second processing device, and to a method for operating a food processor, wherein a detection device is actuated by attaching a processing device to a coupling point provided on the food processor for that purpose.
Food processors are known from the prior art on which different processing devices for processing and preparing foodstuffs can be disposed. Processing devices of said type include, for example, blending jugs, kneading hooks, whisks or chopping blades. In order to dispose the processing devices on the food processors and in order to operate the processing devices, the food processors include coupling points at which suitable driving means are provided, typically a shaft that is driven by a motor of the food processor.
To ensure a food processor cannot be placed into operation or, as the case may be, its motor cannot be switched on without a processing device or a cover part of the coupling point covering the coupling points in an operationally safe manner as a protective device, there is provided at each coupling point a detection device by means of which it can be determined whether a processing device or a cover part is attached in the correct manner to each of the coupling points present. In this case the processing devices or cover parts can include actuating elements by means of which the respective detection device of a coupling point to which the processing devices or cover parts are attached, can be actuated.
Food processors having a protection mechanism acting in such a way have already proved themselves in a multiplicity of applications and can significantly reduce the risk of injury when using the food processor. For example, the German patent specification DE 699 02 797 T2 discloses an electrical kitchen appliance for operating a food processing tool of a mixer attachment in which the kitchen appliance can be electrically operated only when an electric safety switch inside the mixer attachment is actuated by correct fitting of the mixer attachment onto a coupling point of the kitchen appliance. For this purpose the mixer attachment includes an actuating pin which can be moved by means of a button, the actuating pin protruding above an end of the mixer attachment facing toward the kitchen appliance and able to extend through a housing opening of the kitchen appliance as far as the electric safety switch when the mixer attachment is fixed ready for operation on the coupling point. When the mixer attachment is in said operating position and the button is pressed, the actuating pin moves vertically downward against the electric safety switch such that the latter can execute a translational movement and in the process close a motor circuit in order to supply current to a motor of the kitchen appliance for the purpose of driving the food processing tool. If no actuating pin acts on the electric safety switch, the motor circuit will not be closed and the electrical kitchen appliance cannot be put into operation.
Also known from the European patent specification EP 1 272 084 B1 is a food processor which is equipped with two coupling points for suitable processing devices, the coupling points being disposed on its housing spaced at a distance from each other. Each of the coupling points has a shaft which can be driven by an electric drive motor. To ensure that the food processor can only be placed into operation when a processing device or a suitable cover part is fitted to each of the coupling points, each of the coupling points is provided with a detection device which can interact with a contact switch located in the electrical circuit of the drive motor. If a processing device or a cover part is not correctly disposed at only one of the coupling points present, at least one of the detection devices remains in a position in which the electrical circuit of the drive motor remains interrupted, with the result that the food processor cannot be placed into operation.
The known protection mechanisms ensure the food processor provides a high level of safety in operation. It can, however, be disadvantageous that the use of the processing devices is restricted to processing devices specifically provided for the food processor, because the detection devices can be actuated only by means of actuating elements that are configured to match the respective detection device. In particular the protection mechanisms of known generic food processors can make it difficult to use or can prevent the use of possibly present older processing devices on the food processor.